Poppa’s Moment by Phil Larson
Flying across my television is a stream of pictures from years of grandchildren raising me as a Poppa. Don’t ask me how to do it. It just happened punching buttons one day. But it is pure joy to watch and remember precious moments as they grow up and I change with them.
One of my favorites is my granddaughter at a fairy princess event eating a dandelion while I sit all grandfatherly, looking content. Someone snapped that moment, and it isn’t the highest quality photo, but it will be with the two of us for a long time. We had fun that day and still have fun today.
Now “fairy princess” is not my thing. Eating dandelions is not my thing. My granddaughter is my thing. Building great memories together is my thing. That means I have to be there at odd moments for my thing to turn into something.
My prayer and hope is that you are there at those moments that make memories. My brain doesn’t save many memories. Those young kids remember much more. Technology helps it tamp down into my soul and replay it over and over and bring me joy after joy.
Go munch a dandelion with a fairy princess. And enjoy being a Poppa.
Phil Larson serves as the SW Director of Benefits and Conferences for Grandkids Matter and GrandparentBenefits.org. He and his wife, Dian, live in Oklahoma City and have four children of their own as well as many that call them mom and dad from the community. Three of those children are married, giving them a mix of six grandchildren of multi-racial background by both birth and adoption. You can contact him at 405.494.0637 or phil@grandparentbenefits.org.
